The typical 3PO-series droid stood at approximately 1.7 meters in height with a humanoid build. Most units were programmed with a subservient, service oriented personality and a typical 3PO unit would never attack, under any circumstances even if it was in self-defense.

With its standard components (head, torso, legs, arms and hands), a typical 3PO unit would weigh around 77.6 kg, and its maximal speed was 21km/hr.[4]

Each droid was equipped with a SyntheTech AA-1 VerboBrain making them capable of storing enormous amounts of information, the additional memory space was often used to keep communication modules in the active memory so that long delays could be avoided while searching for linguistic information on mid-translation. A TranLang III Communicator module allowed them to be fluent in over six million forms of communication, even if they could not respond in all of them for a lack of proper communication appendages. They also had the skills necessary to quickly analyze new unregistered languages and translate them into more well-known ones.

They were even provided with an olfactory sensor that allowed them to comprehend pheromonal communication. Other useful features were a factory-standard restraining bolt mount, and the fact that their shutdown switch was conveniently located at the back of their neck, on a very easy to reach place.